The upside-down values of Jesus

Opening. The way for salvation was esablished by Jesus in Mark 9. Now Mark is explaining how Jesus reorients three essential values of humanity. Marriage, Children, and Possessions.

‘welcome. Context for series. Rejoice

OPENING In Philosophy class we learn of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It’s a Pyramid of 6 sets of needs going from the most fundamental at the bottom to the top where he deals with the more personal mental and emotional needs.

At its base, the foundational needs are: Physiological: air, food, water

Safety: security of body, resources, family, health

Love/Belonging: Friendship, Family, Intimacy

Esteem: Esteem of self, Esteem from others, respect

Self-Actualization: Self-Fulfillment, doing what one is made for, a musician must make music, etc.

Dick Van-Dyke- I never considered my career work.

The desires to know and understand: Acquiring knowledge and systematizing the universe, morality, meaning

Jesus has, in previous chapter, dealt with how the kingdom of God values issues of safety, security, esteem, love and belonging, and now, in this chapter will show us the upside down values of the kingdom of God when it comes to the fundamental issues of Marriage, Children, and Possessions.

What we have to understand about Jesus’ teachings is that it reorients human priorities, and expectations. Too often, Christian culture and teaching coopts the teaching of the modern age. Just add in a little Jesus to your American dream, just say this prayer and you’re good. I’ve heard too many “sermons” from pastors that are more like Ted Talks with how to live your best life now, and they justify their messages as preaching the gospel because at the end they offer an invitation.

There was no Christ in their sermon, their was no gospel in their message and still they offer his salvation. It’s like going to a doctor, having them tell me all that I could have done to prevent the disease, to work to cure myself but never giving me any hope of a cure. If you have the cure we don’t need to talk about what I must do, give me the salvation I need!

Jesus shows us the way of salvation, that it is found in him, his grace, his obedience, his sacrifice first! Now Jesus gets to the things that we can make idols, and shows us what are God’s intent and desire for Marriage, Children, and Possessions. These are the upside down-values of Jesus.

Marriage: More than a Ring

Children: More than Annoying

Possessions: More than Things

Mark begins with orienting us geographically. Jesus and his disciples are making their way to Jerusalem. Having left Capernaum. Some commentators believe that he was on the southeast side of the sea of Galilee, on the road to Jerusalem. Having crossed over the Jordan and in the region of Judea.

Judea was the southern kingdom during the time where the kingdom was divided.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Judah, Tribe Of)

In Israel’s later history, the tribe of Judah was the only tribe to remain loyal to the Davidic dynasty (1 Kgs 12:20), so Judah became the southern kingdom in opposition to the northern kingdom of Israel made up of the other tribes of Israel.

Not so ironically being in the region of Davidic covenantal faithfulness, Jesus is teaching on what it looks like to be faithful to the teaching of Scripture.

He does this in the face of Pharisaical opposition. The Pharisees came up and wanted to test him, wanting again to trap Jesus was a moral and theological trap about Marriage.

Marriage: More than a ring

So they asked:

Mark 10:2 “And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?””

Why would they ask this questions?

The value of women

The protocol of divorce in Jewish culture

between the husband and the father-in-law

What would they hope his answer would be?

Catch him in a trap

Two school of thought, the conservative and the liberal views of marriage

The conservative school, the Shammai school said that the only requisite for marriage was infidelity.

The liberal school, the Hillel School was that anything a woman did that embarrassed, disgraced, or merely displeased the husband could be grounds for divorce.

This was coming from Deut 24:1-10 ““When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man’s wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

What was the cultural view of marriage then?

The prevailing view at the time was the Hillel school, the liberal view.

*site Herod Antipas’s divorce of his wife to marry his brother’s wife.

The Gospel according to Mark Discipleship and Marriage (10:1–12)

If Jesus is in Perea, which was under Antipas’s jurisdiction, the question may have been put to trap him on the issue of Antipas’s marriage to Herodias, over which the Baptist had lost his head (6:18). If that is the context of the question, then Jesus is being asked whether Antipas was justified or not in divorcing the daughter of King Aretas to marry Herodias. But even if the question is not politically motivated, the Pharisees surely suspect Jesus of holding views on the subject of marriage that differ from theirs.

The Pharisaical trap here was this:

If he answered with the liberal view- Jesus was against the law of Moses against scripture.

If he answered with the conservative view- He would be against Rome, against the culture.

CHRISTIANITY IS NEVER handcuffed to the conservative or liberal views. Christianity stands on its own, with our own values, our own code of ethics. the conservative and liberal merely borrow our values.

How does Jesus answer?

Jesus responds Mark 10:3-5

Mark 10:3–5 ESV

He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

What they missed is why Moses allowed for a certificate of divorce.

We have a tendency to obey the letter of the law not the heart of the law.

It’s an issue from the beginning of childhood. How close can i get to the line without going over.

The pharisees and others would divorce their wives if they were lusting after another woman. So instead of breaking the law of adultery, they would give their wife a certificate of divorce for some arbitrary reason “irreconcilable differences” and go and follow their lustful hearts.

Moses knew that there would be those who were unfaithful to their spouse, that they would defile the marriage covenant, and so he permitted divorce.

God doesn’t forbid divorce because he knows that humanity is sinful and to break the covenant of marriage by adultery is to break the deepest commitment to trust another person.

But Jesus is teaching that it is because of this that God permits divorce.

Anecdotal: divorce is hard.

What is the cultural position today on Marriage?

Too often Marriage is viewed as utilitarian.

Procreation

Happiness

Fulfillment

Right

How does Jesus change our view of Marriage?

Jesus goes back to Genesis and reaffirms God’s design from the beginning, pre-fall.

Mark 10:6-9 “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.””

Jesus also begins his rebuke with the value of Women in the role. Not as those who have to stand by but those who are made equal in value yet different in personhood.

Jesus reaffirms the teaching from Genesis that marriage is not simply two people agreeing to live and love one another until things change, but it is the co-mingling of souls.

There is a greater purpose and meaning to marriage beyond the happiness of the individuals.

Marriage is between one husband and one wife intended to be for life.

This marriage dissolves the individualization that a person has before they are married.

Creates a two-in-one new person.

Against polygamy

adding anyone to the marriage bed

Against OT Polygamy

Polygomy in Israel was never praised and Never was God’s plan for humanity.

This also shows that it is God who joins these two people together.

Marriage is sacred!

By divorcing their spouse they commit self harm and tear themselves in half. There is a spiritual aspect to marriage and martial intimacy.

The bond of marriage is more sacred than the familial relationship. Honor your father and mother get’s put in 3rd place after Honor god, Honor Spouse, and then Father and Mother.

If there was divorce for any frivolous reasons Paul encourages the church at 1 Cor 7:11 “(but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.”

Jesus adds to the end of this teaching, here at the house with the disciples, in Matthew just at the end of the teaching:

Mark 10:11–12 ESV

And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

This addition to the teaching is both shows the gravity and weight of marriage and divorce. How this is not simply something to be taken lightly, but also is something that is a grave sin, breaking of the ten commandments. There is a great warning against this kind of behavior.

There is a great temptation in our culture today to trivialize marriage, to run outside of the marriage covenant, to lust, to chase our lusts, but God promises us something beautiful in our fidelity, men I want to encourage your faithfulness to your wife.

Let, let us hear these words:

Mark The Need for Wisdom and Compassion

Finally, we must not forget the vital role of the gospel in these matters. Anyone who has been through an illegitimate divorce or sinned sexually against his or her spouse needs to know that these are not unforgivable sins. These sins are what sent Christ to the cross, and all who put their trust in Him are forgiven. The kingdom of God is not closed to those who are divorced, and all of us in the church should be quick to share this good news with those whose marriages have failed or are hurting.

There is hope for the broken there is

Jesus moves on to the product of those marriage relationships, the children.

Children: More than annoying

Mark10:13 “And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.”

Why would the people want to bring their children to Jesus?

There’s a serious discussion happening and what we see here is that parents were bring their children to see Jesus.

They wanted his blessing. They desired Jesus to touch their children because they wanted their children to be blessed by this great teacher.

This is the desire of loving parents.

To bring their children to Jesus

Why would the disciples rebuke them and not let them?

Yet, what we read here is that the disciples rebuked the parents.

There are those who think that children are a burden. That children don’t belong around Jesus.

WE HAVE IMPORTANT THEOLOGICAL THINGS HAPPENING

WE HAVE TO WORSHIP WITHOUT DISTRACTION

What was Jesus’ response?

Jesus was INDIGNANT, he was angry with his disciples for preventing children to come into his presence.

Mark 10:14-15 “But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.””

What is the cultural view today on children?

Children are a burden

Children are a distraction

Children aren’t able to understand

As parents we do need to do our best to not allow our children to run a muck. There is good teaching about our children needing to listen, obey, respect their elders, show honor.

We should want our kids to be liked and not viewed as disruptive or disrespectful. This is our job as parents and it is for their good and ours too.

But kids are not adults.

How does Jesus change our view of Children?

Jesus welcomes children in.

Jesus blesses them

Jesus sets their faith as an example

Mark 10:15 “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.””

We want to value children like Jesus. As it stand now we don’t have childcare or a children’s program. I don’t think that these things are preventing children from coming to Jesus, but i also think there is great value in having children in the service. This isn’t for everyone nor is it for every child. But one of my hopes is that we see the value of children in the life of Liberti Church.

For some of us it’s easier to talk about the value of children than the value of things. Here’s where some of us will begin to clutch our wallets closely.

Possessions: More than things

Mark 10:17-22 “And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

How does this man view Jesus?

First this man sees Jesus as a good teacher, he fails to see him as God

respect knelt before him

This failure to see Jesus as God and merely good, shows us that the words that Jesus says, can be taken in varying degrees.

If Jesus’ words are simply good ideas or helpful advice then we can take them or leave them and do our best.

If Jesus is God, then his words have both temporal and eternal significance.

What does his really desire?

He desires eternal life. He has obeyed the commandments of Moses.

Mark 10:19 “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ””

What does he lack?

He lacks satisfaction in the law. The law will never satisfy.

He misses the forrest for the trees

He still loves his wealth.

Jesus love him, loves his commitment to his words, and desires that he would find that his one true sense of fulfillment and satisfaction wouldn’t be in his own self justification but that he would find his hope not in what he can hold or do, but in something that was outside of himself.

We ultimately can’t justify ourselves, we can’t keep the law perfectly.

We can try and try but we will fail and fail. This man has done better than most.

The one thing that hold him back from utter dependency on God is the thing that he find to be his security.

His treasure, his real sense of satisfaction, his true sense of security, his true sense of salvation, was in his wealth.

What does Jesus say about wealth?

He says that Mark 10:23 “And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!””

What does Jesus not say about wealth?

Jesus doesn’t rebuke the man for his wealth, he offers him something that money can not buy.

Jesus offers him freedom instead of captivity.

Hope over worry.

Salvation over taxation lol

(Note, the children are here for the conversation v 24)

What is the cultural view today on wealth?

Money is viewed as security.

Money is viewed as social status.

Money is necessity.

Possessions are viewed as social currency.

Money owns us. We do all we can to increase our hold of it, but in a way it increases its hold on us.

The proven power over money is the ability to give it away.

Look at what Jesus says sell all that you have and give it.

Power is not in the holding but in the giving.

Tithing is a proclamation that God has the priority in your life.

Tithing is not the end of giving. How amazing would it be to have margin to be generous beyond the tithe?

How does Jesus change our view of possessions and wealth?

Jesus changes our view of possessions by putting them in their proper place. Our treasure is not here in what we have but what we will have in heaven.

We do this for retirement and savings but what about our heavenly 401K?

Peter says in Mark 10:28 “Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.””

Jesus sees what sacrifices people make for the kingdom. For those who sacrifice for the kingdom and future blessing is in store, a future inheritance awaits.

Our future blessing is heaven. There is no want, there is no currency, the streets are paved with gold, we have all that we will need in heaven.

There is no rich or poor, there is only the heavenly inheritance of Christ and his presence, his riches and his glory.

Conclusion:

Friends: Let us see that Jesus reorients our values in the upside-down kingdom of heaven.

Where Marriage is not utilitarian serving only self, but where two become one flesh so serving and caring for your spouse is self care.

Where children are welcomed and valued, and their faith in Jesus is to be emulated and held in honor.

Where possession are not the final word on who you are but the beginning of what God can begin to use as mission ammunition.

but hers the real hope in all of this, and I want you to really believe this really believe this wonderful news. You see Jesus is the faithful bride groom. He is faithful when we are faithless, when we run and are unfaithful He reconciles us back to himself.

not only that but Jesus welcomes us in our tender young faith. Where ever you are on your faith walk Jesus welcomes you and blesses you!

And finally Jesus has given all that he has all of his possessions, all of his wealth, all of his position, power and authority, and has kept the law and all of the Commandments of God perfectly, and has still given everything so that you and I can have his salvation. He did this for you he did this for me. Who’s perfect obedience was given for us so that we may be reconciled to god through his sacrifice through his broken body, and his shed blood, so that we may have life and have it to the full. This is the good news, a Christianity, and this good news is for you.

Lord’s Supper:

Charge & Benediction

English Standard Version Chapter 10

29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Go now in the confidence of people who have found mercy. Follow Jesus, keeping the commandments, letting go of all that binds you to the ways of this world, and investing everything in God’s realm. And may God come close to you and keep you safe; May Christ Jesus reward your faithfulness a hundredfold; and may the Holy Spirit be your help in time of need. We go in peace to love and serve the Lord

NOTES:

The Gospel according to Mark Discipleship and Marriage (10:1–12)

Mark’s record of the question of the Pharisees is surprising since, as was well known, Jewish law permitted divorce. The only question concerned the grounds of divorce, as recorded in the parallel in Matt 19:3, “ ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason.’ ” This final phrase was the crux of the controversy over divorce in Jesus’ day, as is reflected in a celebrated passage in the Mishnah:

The School of Shammai say: A man may not divorce his wife unless he has found unchastity in her, for it is written, “Because he hath found in her indecency in anything.” And the School of Hillel say: [He may divorce her] even if she spoiled a dish for him, for it is written, “Because he hath found in her indecency in anything.” R. Akiba says: Even if he found another fairer than she, for it is written, “And it shall be if she find no favour in his eyes.” (m. Git. 9:10)